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THE WERNER 

BIOGRAPHICAL 

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The Story of 
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CHICAGO NEW YORK 


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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 

Chap. Copyright No 

Shelf. 



UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 



THE WERNER BIOGRAPHICAL BOOKLETS 



THE STORY 



OF 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



FOR YOUNG READERS 



By ALMA HOLMAN BURTON 




WERNER SCHOOL BOOK COMPANY 
NEW YORK CHICAGO BOSTON 



13950 



Copyright, 1898, 
By Werner School Book Company 






CONTENTS 



CHAPTER PAGE 

I. The Orphan Boy of Nevis, ... 5 

II. The Voyage, ...... 10 

III. "The Little West Indian," ... 14 

IV. " The Vindicator of Congress," . . 17 
V. "The Little Lion," . . . . . .21 

VI. Washington's Aide-de-camp, ... 27 

VII. Hamilton the Patriot and Arnold the 

Traitor, . . . . . . 31 

VIII. The Lawyer, ..... 

IX. The Statesman, ..... 

X. The Federalist, .... 

XI. The First Secretary of the Treasury, 49 

XII. The Inspector General of the Army, . 54 

XIII. Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, 57 

XIV. The Duel, 60 



35 
39 
44 




ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



I. — The Orphan Boy of Nevis. 

In the British West Indies there is a little island 
called Nevis. The cliffs along its coast are high, 
and the waves beat against them day and night. 

A hundred and fifty years ago there were more 
French than English people in Nevis; but the 
English were hurrying as fast as they could to 
occupy the island, because it was so fertile and 
was such a fine shipping station. 

Among the merchants who went there to try 
their fortunes was James Hamilton. He was a 
Scotchman by birth. His people were distin- 
guished, and he himself was a generous and agree- 
able gentleman. 

Everybody liked James Hamilton; he prospered 
greatly in his new home, and married a beautiful 
French lady, and they had several children. Then 
the children died, one by one, until all were gone 
except the youngest son. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



This boy was born on January n, 1757, and he 
was named Alexander, after his grandfather in 
Scotland. He was a winsome baby; he had fine 
linen and silken garments, and it was said that he 
had an easy life before him. 

Very soon, however, Alexander's father lost all 
his money, and could hardly keep his family from 
starving ; but the beautiful French mother was 
always cheerful and gay, and tried to make the 
child happy. She took long walks with him in the 
sunshine ; and when his little legs were tired with 
tramping over the sand, she sat down by him on 
the white beach and told him stories in her own 
French language. 

One day this loving mother became very ill; then 
she died, and Alexander saw her carried away and 
buried by the side of his little brothers and sisters; 
but he never forgot his mother, nor the language 
she taught him to speak. 

When he first went to school, he was so small 
that he stood on the table by the side of his teacher 
while learning the Ten Commandments. He did 
not go to school very long, because his father had 
no money to pay for his teaching. 



THE STORY OP ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



When he was only twelve years old, he was sent 
to the island of Santa Cruz to clerk in the counting- 
house of Mr. Nicholas Cruger. There were rows 
of desks in the counting-house where clerks were 
busy writing, and iron chests where money was 
kept, and scales where workmen weighed bags of 
sugar, boxes of indigo, and bales of cotton ; and 
outside the wide doors stood carts and wheelbar- 
rows to carry the merchandise to the waiting ships 
in the harbor. 

Alexander was very busy in the counting-house. 
He wrote down the long lists of goods for the 
ladings, and the dates when the ships sailed, and 
when they came back to port again. His master, 
Mr. Cruger, was a thrifty merchant. " Method is 
the soul of business," he often said, as he bustled 
about the counting-room. 

Alexander did not like clerking very well ; he 
wrote to a young friend in Nevis : " I would 
willingly risk my life, though not my character, to 
exalt my station." 

Those were brave words for a boy of twelve 
years, were they not? He would not risk his char- 
acter to improve his fortune! 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



I think you will find that Alexander Hamilton 
always prized his character more than life itself. 

Now, although he did not like his work, he did 
not shirk it. He was so diligent that, when only 
fourteen years old, he was left in charge of the 
counting-office while his employer was absent in 
Boston. 

He was small for his age ; he must have looked 
like a child playing at keeping store as he went 
about with a quill pen over one ear, taking note of 
what the other clerks did. Some letters still exist 
which he sent to Boston, telling how the business 
was getting along ; they are neat and exact ; they 
must have pleased his employer very much. 

When the duties of the day were over, Alex- 
ander studied in books which he -borrowed from 
his friend, the Rev. Mr. Knox. He was fond of 
arithmetic and history, and he liked to read the 
lives of the great men who have helped to make 
the world better and happier. 

Now, just about this time, a hurricane swept 
down upon the Leeward Islands ; ships were 
tossed upon the rocks by the wind, trees were torn 
from their roots, and villages were lifted up and 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



thrown into the raging sea. It was all so terrible 
that the bravest men fled in terror into the caves ; 
but Alexander was not afraid; he watched the 
storm from a high ledge of rocks, and he thought 
it was so grand that everybody should know just 
how it looked; so he wrote all about it, and sent 
the account to a newspaper. 

When people read it, they were astonished at 
the language. The description of the hurricane 
was so beautiful that many who had hidden in the 
caves wished they had stayed in the open to 
watch it. 

Who on the island could write so well? Nobody 
knew. The governor set to work to find out ; and 
when he learned that the pale little clerk in the 
counting-house was the author, he said that such a 
bright boy should have an education. 

Now, people were so eager to contribute money 
for this that Alexander soon had enough to pay 
his expenses at school for several years ; then, 
because there were no good schools in the island, 
it was decided to send him to one of the large 
cities in America. 

And so, clad in a new suit of clothes, Alexander 



IO THE STOR V OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 

Hamilton climbed the gang plank of a British 
packet bound for Boston. The sailors shouted; 
the ropes were drawn up; there were hands waving 
farewell, and soon the tall cliffs of the island 
were lost in the mists of the sea. 



II. — The Voyage. 



When the vessel had left the land behind, 
Alexander began to look about him. He soon 
knew the sailors by name, and they all grew very 
fond of him. His best friend was a Scotch pilot 
who had been in service for many years. This 
old pilot told Alexander how King George of 
England had sent armies across the sea to help 
the Americans fight the French. 

"Those Frenchmen wanted the earth," he said. 
" They first wanted the coast of Maine, and then 
they wanted the beaver lands on the great river 
called the Ohio. And never a bit would they let 
the British trade for the furs of the Injuns. Every 
man knows that the land belonged to the king; 
and his majesty sent over the pick of his armies 
to fight for it." 



THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. I i 

Then he told how the French forts on the Ohio 
had been taken by the British General Forbes and 
a " likely American lad " by the name of George 
Washington, and how the forts along the St. 
Lawrence had been seized by the brave General 
Wolfe and his army; and how, at last, the British 
had gained the great fresh water lakes in the 
north, and all the land along the Ohio. 

The old man had his own ideas about the 
people who lived in the colonies 

"I cannot well make out these Americans," he 
said. " They're a headstrong lot, laddie. They've 
made trouble from the first; and, now they've had 
a hand fighting the French, they're pesky ready 
to fall upon the king's troops sent over to keep 
them in order." 

And while the old tar pulled away at his wheel, 
he told how the Americans would not consent to 
be taxed by Parliament; how Patrick Henry, a 
bold young man in Virginia, had defied the king 
in open meeting about a stamp tax, and how Bos- 
ton and other cities had refused to buy any more 
goods from British merchants till the tax was 
taken off. 



j 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

" It makes bad shipping business, laddie," he 
groaned; " and it's all bad from the beginning of 
it, and I know you'll say so yourself when you 
see the carryings on. 

" They call themselves ' Sons of Liberty,' and 
have big meetings on the green, and they do a 
power of speaking and reading newspapers instead 
of smoking their pipes and keeping the peace. 

" Last year, at Boston, when the king's troops 
stood in the streets to keep the rascals quiet, 
the folk came and hooted at them, and would 
not go home; and the troops fired the guns, and 
killed two or three of the men. 

" And Samuel Adams, a very bold man, with the 
whole town at his back, ordered the king's troops 
out of Boston. Think of that, laddie ! 

" The king's officers wanted orders from the 
king before they put the bayonets to the throats 
of the villains; so they took the troops to an 
island in the harbor; and there they are to-day, 
keeping close watch on the town. I think we'll see 
their bayonets shining when we sail up the bay." 

Alexander made up his mind that the Ameri- 
cans must be very wicked indeed. On the island 



THE STOR Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 1 3 

of Nevis, no one said a word against the great 
king of England who sat on a throne. 

Alexander learned all he could about the Amer- 
icans. He was almost afraid to go to a country 
where men were bold enough to defy King 
George's grenadiers. 

The ship plunged slowly along towards his new 
home. 

One night he heard the cry of " Fire! fire! " He 
ran to the hatchway. The deck was in a red glare 
of light. The sailors were running to and fro with 
buckets of water. Everybody thought the vessel 
would be destroyed, but at last the fire was put out. 

A few days later, the ship passed an island 
where long lines of soldiers in red coats were 
marching. The bayonets gleamed in the sun- 
shine, and the voices of the captains rang over 
the water as they gave their commands. 

" There they are, sure enough, laddie," said the 
old Scotch pilot. 4i The king's troops are waiting, 
and watching the town of Boston!" 

And when Alexander saw the steeples of the 
city, he wondered if the king's troops would ever 
march again into Boston with their bayonets fixed. 



H 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



III. — "The Little West Indian." 

Alexander Hamilton landed at Boston on a 
bright day in October, 1772. He had only time to 
look about the docks. Then he took a packet for 
New York, where he intended to go to school. 

When he reached New York, he hunted up 
some clergymen, to whom he gave letters from his 
friend, Mr. Knox. These gentlemen received 
him with much kindness, and advised him to go 
to the grammar school at Elizabethtown, in New 
jersey. 

Before very long Alexander was hard at work. 
He soon had many friends in Elizabethtown. 
Governor Livingston welcomed him to his home, 
and he often spent his evenings reading in the 
governor's library. 

Once, when the baby of a lady friend died, he 
watched all night by the little casket. The room 
was lighted dimly with one candle, and as he sat 
alone such beautiful thoughts came to him about 
the dead child that he wrote them out in verse. 
The next morning he gave the verses to the sad 
mother. They comforted her very much. 
At the end of one year, Alexander had been so 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



15 



diligent in the grammar school that he was ready 
for college. He went to see the president of 
Princeton College. He told him he was anxious 
to finish his studies as soon as possible, and 
asked to be allowed to double the work outside 
of the class. 

The president declared that no such thing had 
ever been done, but promised to talk with the 
officers about it. He soon wrote Alexander that 
it had been decided to refuse his request. " But 
I am convinced," he said, " that you will do honor 
to any seminary in which you may be educated." 

Alexander returned to New York. He entered 
Columbia College, which was then called King's 
College. Here he was so witty and amiable that 
he made many friends. He wrote a play, which 
the British officers acted, and he joined a debating 
club where the students talked much about the 
troubles with the king. 

Alexander remembered what the old Scotch 
pilot had said about the Americans, and at first he 
always debated on the king's side. 

But one time, I do not know why, he went up 
to Boston. Perhaps it was to attend to some 



x 6 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 

business for his old employer at the counting- 
house. He found Boston in great excitement. 
A few nights before, the people in that city had 
met together to talk about the tax which Parlia- 
ment had put on tea. They said they would not 
buy taxed tea, and that the ships in the harbor 
must take it back to England; but the king's 
governor would not send the tea back. Then 
some of the men dressed themselves like Indians, 
and hurried down to the harbor. They climbed 
up the sides of the ships and threw the tea over- 
board. 

Now, the people knew very well that they would 
be punished for this bold act. Every night they 
held great public meetings. You may be sure that 
Alexander Hamilton attended all the meetings 
while he was in Boston. 

He heard Samuel Adams, John Hancock, James 
Otis, and other patriots speak. 

They said they were willing to pay taxes if 
they might vote like the freemen of England; but 
not a single American was allowed to sit in Par- 
liament, and so Parliament had no right to tax 
Americans. 



THE STOR Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 1 7 

They said, if one tax were paid, many more 
must be paid; and, if the people dared to resist 
the law of Parliament, British troops would soon 
be placed in every town. 

They said they were willing to obey a king, but 
they would not obey a tyrant. 

The more Alexander listened to the talks of 
these great men, the more he admired them. He 
even found himself clapping his hands and cheer- 
ing with all the rest when they cried, " No taxa- 
tion without representation! " 

And when he returned to New York, he would 
not defend the king's laws any more. He argued 
in debate on the side of the patriots. 

He often walked under the shade of a grove of 
trees, talking low to himself. And when the 
neighbors passed by, they pointed him out and 
said, "There is the little West Indian, who makes 
such fine speeches in King's College." 



IV. — " The Vindicator of Congress." 
Not long after young Hamilton's return to New 
York, news came that the king and his council 



1 8 THE STOR V OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

had closed the port of Boston. British soldiers 
had marched into the city with bayonets fixed. 
They would not allow an American vessel in the 
harbor, not even a fishing smack. 

The trade of the merchants was ruined. More 
than half the people were without work, and hun- 
dreds would starve if food were not sent overland 
from the other towns on the coast. 

There was great excitement in New York over 
this news from Boston. On a hot afternoon in 
July a crowd of people met on the green to talk 
about it. 

Many spoke; but a slender boy, who sat listen- 
ing, thought they had left out some very important 
arguments. He stepped to the front. His face 
was pale. He was so small that he looked like a 
child; yet his voice rang out clear and strong, and 
he spoke with so much elegance that people were 
amazed. "Who is he?" they asked. It was 
Alexander Hamilton, only seventeen years old. 
"Ah, the wee lad," said one; "he is bigger than 
he looks! " 

The excitement about the taxes continued until 
all the colonies agreed to meet in a convention at 



THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 1 9 

Philadelphia. This convention was called the 
Continental Congress. The delegates decided to 
resist the taxes to the bitter end. 

Then the people were divided into two parties. 
Those who were willing to obey the king's unjust 
demands were called tories, and those who re- 
fused to obey them were called whigs. 

And whigs and tories were talking from morn- 
ing till night. Some New York merchants met 
together at the coffee-house to consider their con- 
dition. 

They said that all they had was on the sea. 
Prosperity depended on trade, and the Continental 
Congress at Philadelphia must not hurt trade 
with England by opposing the king's laws too 
much. They said that everybody must be cau- 
tious. 

Now, Alexander Hamilton was at this meeting. 
He felt that to keep up trade at the expense of 
liberty would destroy trade in the end, and he 
decided to tell the merchants what he thought. 

He mounted a chair. Smiles were seen about 
the room. Someone said: "What brings that 
child here? The poor boy will disgrace himself.". 



2 O THE ST OR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

But the two years in the counting-house had 
taught the little West Indian more about British 
trade than most of the merchants knew. He made 
one of the very best speeches of the evening. He 
urged sympathy with Congress, and so pleased 
the rich men that they shook hands with him. 
They said he would be a great man some day. 

Now, Dr. Cooper, the president of Columbia Col- 
lege, was a tory, and wrote a letter in a newspaper 
against the Continental Congress. 

Alexander Hamilton replied to Dr. Cooper with 
much wit. He signed his letter, " A Sincere Friend 
to America." The letter was well written. Every- 
body wanted to read it. The demand for the news- 
paper was so great that the printer could not 
publish it fast enough. H Who is this ' Sincere 
Friend to America' ?'" men asked on the streets. 

Some said it was Governor Livingston. Others 
said that only John Jay, the eloquent lawyer, could 
have written such a fine letter. Dr. Cooper said it 
must be John Jay, and he was so angry about it 
that he would not speak to him on the streets. 

And all the time young Hamilton was laughing 
to himself about their bad guessing ! 



THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 I 

Some collegians had seen the letter before it was 
published, and told, at last, who the " Sincere 
Friend to America " was. Then people admired 
the " Little West Indian " more than ever. They 
said he would some day be an honor to New York, 
and they called him the " Vindicator of Congress." 



V. — " The Little Lion." 
Not long after that, a battle was fought at Lex- 
ington, near Boston. 

Everybody saw that there must be a war. Con- 
gress called on all the colonies for volunteers, and 
appointed George Washington commander-in-chief 
of the American army. General Washington soon 
drove the British out of Boston, and hurried 
away to prevent them from taking New York. 

Then King George sent over a great fleet with 
cannon and armed men. Some of the men were 
Hessians. They could not speak a word of Eng- 
lish, yet they were hired by the king to fight his 
English subjects. This made the Americans more 
angry than ever. They said that a king who would 
do such a thing as that was not worthy of obe- 



2 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

dience, and that the colonies should not be a 
part of England any more. The Continental 
Congress signed the Declaration of Independence, 
and then war with England began in real 
earnest. 

Meanwhile, Alexander Hamilton was studying 
how to build forts and drill soldiers. When it 
was known that the British fleet was coming against 
New York, he joined a company of volunteers. 
They called themselves " Hearts of Oak," and 
made a very brave showing indeed in their 
green uniforms and leather caps, with " Freedom 
or Death " on the bands. 

It became necessary to remove some cannon from 
the battery. The " Hearts of Oak " agreed to do 
it. As they stood on the shore, pulling and tug- 
ging at a heavy gun, the British fired at them from 
the ships. A comrade fell dead at Hamilton s side; 
but the young men stood their ground, and the 
gun was at last removed to safety. 

Now, when the people in the city heard this 
firing from the British ships, they rushed into the 
streets, crying: " Down with the tories !" " Down 
with the hirelings of the king ! " And one of the 



THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 3 

first men they wanted to hang was Dr. Cooper, the 
president of Columbia College. 

You remember that this was the tory whom 
Hamilton had opposed in the newspapers. Yet 
Hamilton knew that it would be a wicked thing 
to seize a defenseless man. 

He was tired and heated from his work with 
the gun; but when he saw the angry mob surging 
toward the president's house, he hurried to it by a 
short street, and stood on the steps. 

He told the people they were bringing disgrace 
on the name of liberty. He thought he would keep 
on talking in a very loud voice until the president 
might escape by a back door. 

Dr. Cooper could not believe that Hamilton was 
generous enough to defend him. He thought he 
was down there on the front steps inciting the mob 
to burn his house. So he looked out of the win- 
dow and called: " Don't listen to him, gentlemen; 
he's crazy ! he's crazy !" 

At last, the old scholar learned the truth, and 
escaped through a back door to a British man- 
of-war which lay in the harbor. 

At another time, while the mobs were rushing to 



24 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

destroy the printing presses of the tories, Hamil- 
ton again interfered. He said the rights of all cit- 
izens should be protected, and begged the frantic 
men to respect the law. 

Soon after this, Hamilton was made captain of 
an artillery company. 

He was very proud of his company. He spent 
all his money to equip his men, and trained them 
until they were the best soldiers in New York. 

One day, as they were at drill, loading and un- 
loading the big guns, taking them apart, putting 
them together again, and running with them back 
and forth, who should pass but Washington him- 
self ! The great general stopped at the drill 
ground to watch the artillery company. 

He was so pleased with the bright face and the 
commanding tones of the little captain that he 
asked who he was; and then he slowly passed on, 
repeating to himself: " Alexander Hamilton, the 
' Vindicator of Congress ! ' " 

Another day the great commander-in-chief rode 
by as Hamilton was constructing some earth works 
at Fort Washington. He stopped his horse and 
watched the little engineer. And when he saw 



THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 5 

that it was the captain who had drilled the artil- 
lery company so well, he invited him to his tent. 

They had a long and delightful talk together. 
Young Hamilton sat on a camp stool answering 
questions ; he was so modest and intelligent that 
he quite won the heart of Washington ; and from 
that very day a friendship began between George 
Washington and Alexander Hamilton such as few 
men ever know. It was a friendship that lasted 
till death. 

Some time you will read all about the war 
between the British and the Americans. I can 
only mention a few of the battles in this little 
book. 

The king's troops seized New York. Then they 
followed Washington's army up the Hudson, and 
there were several engagements. Hamilton was 
always in the thickest of the fight. At Fort 
Washington he held the enemy back with his guns 
for a time; and when they had captured the fort, he 
hurried into the presence of Washington and pro- 
posed to re-capture it with his company. As he 
stood there with his cocked hat in his hand, he 
looked very eager and impatient to hurry to the 



2 6 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 



task. But the prudent general thought the risk 
was too great, and ordered a retreat. 

Hamilton soon won the name of the " Little 
Lion" by his boldness. He gloried in fighting 
for liberty. It is said that as he marched along 
beside his cannon, with his hand resting on the 
barrel, he patted and stroked it as if it were a 
favorite horse. 

Washington kept on retreating toward Philadel- 
phia. His army was poorly clothed and half fed 
and only numbered about three thousand men. 
Following after it came the great British army, 
under Cornwallis. There were over eight thou- 
sand soldiers in scarlet and gold, with banners fly- 
ing and music playing; they were certain of vic- 
tory. 

When Washington reached the Raritan River, 
Cornwallis was close behind ; but Hamilton 
planted his cannon on a high ledge of rocks 
above the ford of the river, and kept back the 
red coats until the rear of the ragged Americans 
was safe. 

The " Little Lion " was soon rewarded for his 
pluck ; he was appointed aide-de-camp and private 



THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 2 J 

secretary to General Washington, and he was 
given the rank of lieutenant-colonel ; that was a 
proud day for Alexander Hamilton. 



VI. — Washington's Aide-de-camp. 

When General Washington received Colonel 
Hamilton into service as his private secretary, he 
said : " It will be a hard place to fill ; I take no 
amusement for myself, and am busy from morning 
till night ; I shall expect my secretary to be always 
at my side, ready to do his duty." 

" I shall be prepared, your Excellency, to do 
your slightest bidding," answered Hamilton ; and 
he kept his word. He wrote letters to the gover- 
nors of the colonies for recruits, and to the com- 
missaries for food and clothing ; he wrote so much 
and so wisely that it was said, " The pen of the 
army is held by Hamilton." 

He rode to Congress with secret despatches ; he 
took orders to the different American generals, 
and, after a battle, he went to the camp of the 
British to treat for the exchange of prisoners. 



2 8 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

General Washington trusted him completely and 
fondly called him " my boy." 

Hamilton was then twenty years old, and Wash- 
ington was forty-five. 

At the battle of Brandywine, the young aide-de- 
camp rode to the front in the greatest danger to 
watch the enemy ; he carried despatches from one 
general to another. When his horse was shot 
under him, he hurried forward on foot. 

After the terrible battle was over, the defeated 
American army retreated to Westchester. Ham- 
ilton rode all night by the side of the silent com- 
mander-in-chief. It was a sad night; the stars 
seemed to be mocking as they twinkled in the 
sky. 

It was certain that, after their victory at Brandy- 
wine, the British would occupy Philadelphia ; and 
so, before they might reach there, Hamilton was 
sent to the city to ask for blankets, clothing, and 
food for the American army. He wrote such a 
charming letter to the ladies of the " Quaker City " 
that they gladly gave what they could, and his 
wagons were loaded and driven away before the 
drum beats of the British were heard. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



2 9 



Then Washington's army went into winter quar- 
ters at Valley Forge. 

Now, the people who stayed at home were 
getting very tired of the war. Their fields were 
overrun by both armies, and their towns were 
burned by the enemy. 

The British general issued a proclamation offer- 
ing pardon to all who would swear allegiance to 
the king. He said that the property of faithful 
subjects would be spared, but the homes of the 
" rebels " should be burned to the ground. 

Very many whigs were frightened into being 
tories; and when they had once become tories, 
they wanted the king's troops to conquer. They 
knew very well that if the Americans won, they 
themselves would be forever disgraced. And so 
they plotted to defeat them. 

Then some of the American generals became 
jealous of Washington. They tried to remove 
him from command. But Hamilton was always 
watchful, and found out their schemes in time to 
prevent any harm. 

Hamilton was loved by the soldiers in camp. 
Those who lay wounded waited for his coming, 



3Q 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



because he knew so well how to bandage their 
shattered limbs, and could write such beautiful 
letters to their loved ones at home. 

Hamilton was popular with the officers, too. 
He was so genial and frank that they did not 
envy him his high favor with the commander-in- 
chief. 

Among the officers was the Marquis de Lafay- 
ette. He was a Frenchman of noble birth, who had 
given up all the pleasures of the French court at 
Paris to help the Americans fight for liberty. 
But he did not understand the English language 
very well. Now, Hamilton had never for- 
gotten the French language he had learned 
from his mother. And so Lafayette and Ham- 
ilton became great friends, and talked much 
together as they sat before the camp fire at 
Valley Forge. 

Another of Hamilton's friends was the Baron 
von Steuben, a German, who also talked French. 
The sturdy old general drilled the awkward 
squads of continental soldiers, and he saw with 
delight how eager young Hamilton was to master 
the rules of war. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



31 



VII. — Hamilton the Patriot, and Arnold the 

Traitor. 

The war of the Revolution went on, year after 
year. Sometimes the Americans and sometimes 
the British were victorious. 

After a time, the French king, Louis XVI., sent 
over a fleet to help the Americans. 

Then the most of the British army marched to 
the South. They hoped that the tories and the 
negroes would rally to their aid. 

But the British General Clinton tarried in New 
York- He had great plans about enlisting the 
French and Indians of Canada to conquer the 
North. " If only I might get possession of West 
Point! " he said. 

Now, West Point was the strongest fort in the 
colonies. Its frowning walls guarded the Hudson 
River. The British general knew very well that 
he could not bring the armies from Canada 
unless he controlled the Hudson River. 

It is sad to relate that General Clinton found a 
traitor in the American army who was willing to 
betray West Point for gold! 

Benedict Arnold was a brilliant young soldier 



3 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

from Connecticut. He was so brave that he was 
promoted to the rank of major-general, and, after 
the British had retreated from Philadelphia, he 
was placed in command of the city. 

When Arnold married the beautiful daughter 
of a rich tory, he wanted to make her happy; but, 
as we shall see, he really made her the most 
miserable lady in the world. 

He began to live like a prince, in the great 
mansion that William Penn had built. He gave 
balls and fine dinners, and rode in a coach-and- 
four. But he needed more money to live so 
well. 

" I will take money belonging to the army," he 
said, <4 and then I will pay it back as soon as I can. 
No one shall ever know anything about it." So 
he spent the money of the army. It was easy for 
such a high officer to get all the money he 
wanted. 

At Jast Arnold spent more than he could ever 
pay back. His dishonesty was discovered. He 
was tried in court and found, guilty, but his 
bravery had been so great that his punishment 
was made as light as possible. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



33 



Arnold seemed soon to forget his disgrace. He 
still gave large dinners at the elegant home in 
Philadelphia. Perhaps his rich father-in-law gave 
him money for this. 

After a time he begged to be appointed com- 
mander of West Point, and was placed in charge 
of the great fort that guarded the Hudson River. 
Alas! he had already plotted to betray it to the 
British! 

At midnight, in a lonely spot, he met Major 
Andre, the agent of General Clinton. Only the stars 
looked down upon him as he told how the fort 
might be seized if the British would pay him gold. 

Soon after this, while Arnold was completing 
his plot, General Washington came to West Point 
with General Lafayette and Colonel Hamilton. 
He sent word to Arnold that he would make him 
a visit. Washington was delayed by some offi- 
cers, and Hamilton rode with his apology to Mrs. 
Arnold. 

Breakfast was served. Hamilton was charmed 
with the wit and grace of Mrs. Arnold, but he 
saw that Arnold was gloomy and silent. Indeed, 
the traitor was very wretched. He feared Wash- 



34 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



ington's unexpected visit to the fort might spoil 
all his plans. 

While he sat toying with his fork and trying 
in vain to be gay, a swift messenger arrived. He 
whispered in the traitor's ear that Major Andre 
had been arrested and a map of West Point found 
in his boot. 

The unhappy man excused himself from the 
table. He called his wife to another room. He 
explained to her that his fortunes were ruined, 
and, mounting his horse, he fled. 

Hamilton lifted the fainting wife from the floor, 
called a servant to care for her, and then has- 
tened to General Washington. Washington sent 
him with all speed to cut off the traitor's retreat; 
but Arnold was already safe in a British ship. 

Major Andre was hanged as a spy. Arnold, 
the traitor, lived to put the torch and the sword 
to many towns of his native land. 

''Whom shall we trust now?" asked Washington 
sadly, as he thought of Benedict Arnold. But we 
know that Washington trusted Alexander Ham- 
ilton, and we shall see that his trust was never 
betrayed. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



35 



VIII. — The Lawyer; 

Colonel Hamilton met and loved Elizabeth 
Schuyler, the daughter of General Schuyler, one of 
the richest men in New York. Their marriage 
increased the young officer's reputation and added 
much to his social position. 

Very soon after marriage, Hamilton resigned 
his place as aide-de-camp to General Washington, 
on account of a misunderstanding. It happened in 
the following way : One day, Washington passed 
Hamilton on the stairs and said, " I would like to 
speak with you, Colonel." 

" I will wait upon your Excellency immediately," 
replied Hamilton, and went below to deliver some 
important letters to the postman. 

As he returned, General Lafayette stopped to 
speak with him. Hamilton was very impatient ; 
he talked rapidly, and finally left the Erenchman 
abruptly. He searched for Washington in his 
room; he was not there. 

At last he found him at the head of the stairs. 
The great commander-in-chief looked stately and 
severe. 

"Colonel Hamilton," he said, "you have kept 



36 THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 

me waiting these ten minutes! I must tell you, sir, 
that you treat me with disrespect." 

The face of the young aide-de-camp flushed as 
he heard the reproving words. 

" I am not conscious of it, sir," he replied; "but 
since you have thought it necessary to tell me so, 
we part." 

" Very well, sir, if it be your choice," said Wash- 
ington. 

The two friends parted in anger. In less than an 
hour General Washington sent word to Hamilton 
that he hoped the misunderstanding might be for- 
gotten. Their friendship was continued. 

No doubt both men were deeply grieved over 
their hasty words. But Hamilton had already 
written out his resignation ; he felt he might find a 
greater field for work. He was soon placed in 
command of a regiment, and went to the South to 
join General Lafayette against the British. 

The war raged furiously all through the South. 
At last General Washington himself came from 
the North with his army. The British at York- 
town were surrounded by land and by sea. 

A siege was begun ; and then Colonel Hamilton 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



37 



distinguished himself by a very daring deed. 
Behind a high redoubt lay the guns of the British. 
Washington said the guns must be taken. Hamil- 
ton was named as the leader in an assault ; he 
placed his foot on the shoulder of a sentinel, and 
was the first to mount the wall ; he stood for a 
moment in full sight of the enemy's guns, calling 
aloud to his men. 

Then he sprang into the ditch below, followed 
by his devoted soldiers with bayonets fixed. He 
pressed on past the British sentinels, and, in nine 
minutes' time, the American flag was floating over 
the parapet. You may be sure that Washington 
was proud of his young friend. 

Very soon after this, the British surrendered 
to the American troops, and the long seven years' 
war was over. 

The British army sailed away ; Washington 
bade farewell to his officers, and retired to his 
home at Mount Vernon. 

Hamilton went to Albany to live. He began to 
study law ; in a few months he was able to pass his 
examinations, and was admitted to the bar. 

Now, before the war most of the lawyers were 



38 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

tories ; and after the war they were not allowed 
to practice in the courts. Thus it came about that 
Hamilton found a large field for his new profes- 
sion. He soon had more cases than he could 
attend to. 

There was only one lawyer in the state of New 
York who seemed to be his equal ; this was Aaron 
Burr, a grandson of Jonathan Edwards, the great 
preacher of New England. 

Burr was a year older than Hamilton; he was 
handsome and brave, and elegant in his manners. 

He had been in the war, and was once a mem- 
ber of Washington's staff. 

Washington disliked Burr, and did not keep 
him long in his service. 

Almost everybody admired him, but very few 
trusted him, because he was dishonorable in his 
dealings with men. 

It often happened that Burr and Hamilton were 
on different sides in a question of law. Sometimes 
one and sometimes the other won the case at 
court. 

People began to say that the two young law- 
yers would soon be rivals in politics. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



39 



IX. — The Statesman. 

Not long after Hamilton began the practice of 
law, he was elected a member from New York to 
the Continental Congress. Here he did what he 
could. 

But the old Continental Congress had served its 
purpose ; it had done very well for war ; it would 
not do for peace. There was no President ; there 
was no Supreme Court. Even the Congress itself 
was without any real authority. The little states 
were jealous of the big states, and the delegates 
were going home, one by one. Everybody said 
there would soon be no Congress at all. 

Now, just at this very time there was more need 
of a strong government than ever before. 

The paper dollars which Congress had issued 
were refused in payment of debts. People said 
the dollars were " not worth a continental," which 
meant they were not worth anything at all. 

Indeed, everything continental seemed worth- 
less. The Continental Congress had borrowed 
money from France, Holland, and Spain, and 
these countries clamored in vain for their 
pay. 



4<D THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

The continental flag could not protect American 
commerce; the pirates in the Mediterranean Sea 
plundered the American ships, and British sailors 
boarded them; and the Spaniards at New Orleans 
refused to allow the Mississippi River to be navi- 
gated by Americans. 

The continental army was disbanded; and when 
Congress taxed the states to raise some money, 
there were riots everywhere. 

The kings of Europe began to rejoice at the 
distress of the Americans. " See," they said to 
their subjects, " see what a ridiculous spectacle a 
republic makes of itself ! A kingdom is a firm and 
stable government; a republic is the rule of a mob." 

England said that if the republic were only let 
alone it would fall to pieces of its own weight, and 
soon one state after another would be knocking at 
the door of Parliament to ask protection against 
her neighbors. And so King George kept his 
troops in the forts along the St. Lawrence. He 
hoped to win his colonies back again. 

Hamilton urged Congress to call a convention 
of delegates from all the states to agree upon a 
better plan of government. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



41 



Now, there was so much quarreling in Congress 
that Hamilton could get little attention, and he 
soon resigned his office to practice law. But he 
watched and waited for the time when he might 
again propose a convention. 

At last he was sent as a delegate to a commer- 
cial meeting at Annapolis. Here he urged his plan 
for a more perfect union. James Madison, of Vir- 
ginia, helped him, and it was decided to ask Con- 
gress to call a convention to revise the articles of 
confederation. 

Congress agreed to do this; and so, in May, 1787, 
a convention met at Philadelphia to form a perma- 
nent union between the states. 

It was a noted body of men. There was George 
Washington, the hero of the Revolution; Robert 
Morris, the great merchant prince, who had 
almost spent his fortune that the armies might be 
fed; Benjamin Franklin, who had just returned 
from the court of the French king; Edmund Ran- 
dolph, who had refused to sail away in a tory ship 
with his father; and James Madison, who would 
one day be President. 

There were governors, lawyers, and merchants 



4 2 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



among these delegates at Philadelphia, but among 
them all none was more ready for work than Alex- 
ander Hamilton. 

He had a plan of government already formed in 
his own mind, and wished to persuade the rest to 
adopt it. 

George Washington was elected president of the 
convention, and then the debates began. 

Now, all agreed that there should be a union of 
the states, but there were many different opinions 
about what this union should be. 

Some wanted a government with each state 
independent, except in time of war. Others 
wanted a government with all the states firmly 
united. A few, who had been made timid by the 
riots, declared that only a king could keep peace 

The convention lasted four months, and the 
debates were loud and long. Many times the 
meeting was almost broken up, and the talk grew 
so bitter that Franklin moved prayer be said 
every morning. 

Hamilton was kept very busy. Once he spoke 
five hours without stopping. He proposed a strong 
government, with a President, a Congress, and a 



THE ST0R Y OF A LEXANDER HA MIL TON. 4 3 



Supreme Court, much as we have it now. Some 
day, in a larger book, you will read all about it. 

In the end, the Constitution of the United States 
was written and signed. Washington's name was 
first on the list. The great general held his pen in 
his hand as he said: " Should the states reject this 
excellent Constitution, the probability is that an 
opportunity will never again offer to cancel 
another in peace. The next will be drawn in 
blood." Franklin said: " I consent, sir, to this 
Constitution because I expect no better, and 
because I am not sure it is not the best." 

No one has told what Hamilton said, but we can 
see his name standing out, firm and clear, on the 
yellow parchment which lies under glass in the 
capitol at Washington. 

After the Constitution was properly signed by 
the delegates, it was submitted to the old Conti- 
nental Congress. The Congress agreed to let the 
states say whether they wished to adopt the new 
government. 

If nine states adopted it, a union would be 
formed. All the states called conventions to con- 
sider the question. 



44 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

X. — The Federalist. 

Of course, the people were sure to disagree 
about the new Constitution. Governors in the 
states did not like to have a President who 
would be greater than they. Militias in the 
states did not want to be at the beck and call 
of a President who would be their commander- 
in-chief. Judges in the states did not care to 
have their decisions appealed to a supreme court. 
Merchants did not choose to allow a Congress 
to put taxes on the goods they imported from 
Europe. 

And so there was a great deal of talking. 

Those who favored the Constitution were called 
federalists, and those who opposed it were called 
anti-federalists. 

Some great patriots were anti-federalists. Pat- 
rick Henry of Virginia was an anti-federalist, 
because he feared the President and Congress 
might take liberty from the people. 

Samuel Adams, of Massachusetts, was an anti- 
federalist, because he feared one government 
could not hold so many states together. 

Now, this old patriot had much influence. 



THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 45 

People said Massachusetts would vote against 
the Constitution if Samuel Adams did. 

But some workingmen met in the Green Dragon 
Tavern in Boston. It was their opinion that if 
the Constitution was not ratified their trades would 
be ruined. A committee bore their resolutions 
to Samuel Adams; and Paul Revere, who had 
aroused the sleeping towns for the battle of Lex- 
ington, handed him the paper. 

" How many mechanics were at the Green 
Dragon?" asked Adams. 

" More, sir, than the Green Dragon could hold," 
answered Paul Revere. 

" And where were the rest, Mr. Revere? " 

" In the streets, sir." 

" And how many were in the streets? " 

" More, sir, than there are stars in the sky." 

And because Samuel Adams had faith in the 
judgment of the industrious workingmen, he 
resolved from that moment to be a federalist. 

Nothing that anybody could say changed the 
mind of Governor George Clinton, of New- 
York. He opposed the Constitution with all his 
might. 



46 THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

Alexander Hamilton urged the adoption of the 
Constitution. He wrote, with John Jay, of New 
York, and James Madison, of Virginia, a series of 
essays called the Federalist. The Federalist 
explained the new plan of government. 

It had great influence all over the country. 
But there were so many anti-federalists in New 
York that people said the state would never adopt 
the Constitution. 

There was talking from morning till night in 
the taverns and on the corners of the streets. 

Hamilton hardly slept or ate, he was so busy 
trying to persuade the people to agree to the Con- 
stitution. At last news came that eight states 
had ratified it. 

When the New York convention met to vote, 
there was the greatest excitement. Only one 
more state was needed to make the Constitution 
a law. Would New Hampshire vote for it? 
Would Virginia vote for it? Hamilton sent off 
couriers for reports from these two states. The 
days seemed very long. 

At last a courier came riding at full speed. 
"New Hampshire has ratified!" he shouted. 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



47 



"Hurrah!' 5 answered the friends of the Constitu- 
tion, and they hurried to tell that the new govern- 
ment was established. 

Would New York join the union, or remain 
independent? Everybody was asking the ques- 
tion. Now, New York, at that time, was not so 
great in either wealth or population as Virginia, 
Massachusetts, or Pennsylvania. But the state 
was very important, for all that. There it lay, 
dividing New England from the middle and 
southern states. You can see very well that, if 
New York had stayed out of the union, she might 
have been a troublesome neighbor to the United 
States of America. 

Hamilton argued in the convention while wait- 
ing for reports from Virginia. " Let others try 
the experiment first," said Governor Clinton and 
his friends. Everybody said that, if Virginia re- 
fused to ratify, New York would be sure to follow 
her example. 

It took a long time for news to come from far 
away Virginia. But at last a horseman brought 
tidings that Virginia, the " mother of the colonies," 
had adopted the Constitution. 



48 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

"Hurrah! hurrah!" shouted the friends of the 
Constitution. " What will our convention do 
now?" they asked. 

The excitement of the crowds outside the court- 
house waxed greater than ever. " Hamilton is 
speaking! " went from mouth to mouth. " Hamil- 
ton is speaking yet ! He has changed more 
votes! " 

And when the news was carried to the people 
that their convention had ratified the Constitution, 
a shout went up all over the state. There was a 
holiday to celebrate the event. Cannons boomed, 
bells rang, and thousands marched in line in the 
streets of New York city. 

The portrait of Hamilton with the Constitution 
in his hand was carried in the parade; a small 
frigate, called the " Ship of State," bore the 
name Hamilton in large letters, and on the 
national flag were pictured the faces of Washing- 
ton and Hamilton. The celebration closed with 
a public dinner, where toasts were offered in honor 
of Hamilton. 

It was a proud day for the young federalist. 



THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 49 



XI. — The First Secretary of the Treasury. 

The people of the United States had now much 
to do. There were the Congressmen to be elected 
in all the states, and there were electors to be 
chosen to name a President. 

George Washington, the hero of the Revolution, 
was elected President. 

New York was made the capital; and when 
Washington stood on the balcony of the city hall 
to take the oath of office, Hamilton stood by his 
side, among other distinguished men. 

When Chancellor Livingston exclaimed, " Long 
live George Washington, President of the United 
States!" cocked hats Avere tossed in the air, hand- 
kerchiefs fluttered, and above all waved the new 
flag of the Union, while thousands of voices 
shouted that the government had begun. 

Soon the President asked Robert Morris: "What 
is to be done about this immense war debt of the 
United States?" 

The great financier replied: " There is but one 
man in the United States who can tell you, and 
that man is Alexander Hamilton." 

And so, when Washington appointed his 



5Q 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



Cabinet, he made Hamilton Secretary of the 
Treasury. 

As a member of the Cabinet, Hamilton had 
many social duties. He assisted at the President's 
levees and at the Friday evening receptions of 
" Lady Washington." The beauty and wit of the 
nation were there. The envoys from Europe stood 
about in brilliant uniforms; and the officers of the 
army and of the navy were there, with their 
swords and medals voted by Congress. But no 
man in all the throng was more observed than 
Alexander Hamilton. 

He generally wore a blue coat, a white silk 
waist-coat, black trousers to the knee, and long, 
white silk stockings. His powdered hair was 
combed back and tied in a cue. Although below 
middle size, he was erect and dignified. His brow 
was lofty, his face was fair, his voice was musical, 
and his manner was frank and cordial. 

But social duties were the least of Hamilton's 
duties. He was to restore the public credit at 
home and abroad and this must be done by rais- 
ing money to pay the national debt. 

Yet he knew very well that, if the people 



THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 5 I 



were taxed too much, they would rebel against 
the government. 

At last he persuaded Congress to put a high 
tariff on imported wares, and a tax on whisky 
and a few other home products. Then he had to 
oversee the collecting of the public money, and to 
pay it out again on the national debt. 

He proposed a National Bank, and, after much 
debate, the Bank of the United States was estab- 
lished at Philadelphia. Then he recommended a 
mint. There were few American coins. English, 
French, and Spanish coins were about all the 
money we had. Congress ordered a mint to melt 
gold, silver, and copper, and stamp it. 

People began to feel very proud of their country 
when they read "The United States of America" 
on the shining pieces of money. 

The nations of Europe soon treated the Ameri- 
can flag with more respect. They said the Repub- 
lic seemed like a young giant. But they said, too, 
that young giants stumbled more easily than any- 
body else. They would wait a while before they 
believed that the new government would be a 
permanent one. 



52 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



Hamilton continued to labor in all the depart- 
ments of his office. He suggested laws for naviga- 
tion and the coasting trade. He established 
bureaus for the sale of the lands in the West. He 
founded the United States Post-office. He made 
a report on American manufactures, and urged a 
high tax on foreign manufactures to encourage 
the home products. 

And while he was toiling day and night, enemies 
attacked his character. They said he had used 
public money to bribe men for votes. A com- 
mittee investigated the treasury books, but found 
that every dollar was in its place. 

Hamilton was then more popular than ever; 
and when Washington was elected President for 
a second term, Hamilton was again chosen Secre- 
tary of the Treasury. 

In 1795 he resigned his office, and resumed the 
practice of law in New York city. He was only 
thirty-eight years old, yet he had served his country 
for nearly twenty years, and won the name 
of the " founder of the public credit." 

Many years after, Daniel Webster said: " Hamil- 
ton smote the rock of the national resources, and 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



53 



tW, 




Ufitf/WS 



mmm^m^ 



54 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. 



abundant streams of revenue pushed forth. He 
touched the dead corpse of public credit, and it 
sprang upon its feet." Is not that high praise 
from a great orator to a great statesman? 



XII. — Inspector-General of the Army. 

Hamilton was urged by his party to accept the 
nomination for governor of New York. He 
refused the honor. He preferred to practice law. 
He soon bought a small estate on the north end 
of Manhattan Island, and built a hospitable house, 
which he called the Grange, after the mansion 
of his grandfather in Scotland. 

Here he was the center of a large circle of 
admiring friends. On another part of Manhattan 
lived Aaron Burr, his rival in politics and at the 
bar. Whatever Alexander Hamilton wished was 
sure to be opposed by Aaron Burr. 

But talent and industry kept Hamilton far in the 
front. By his practice in the courts, he grew more 
famous than ever. The rich and the poor brought 
their troubles to the great lawyer. It is said that 
Washington still sought his advice in national 



THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 5 5 



affairs ; and then, as the President completed his 
second term of office, Hamilton helped him write 
the Farewell Address. 

If you hear this famous Farewell Address read 
on Washington's birthday, perhaps you will think 
of Alexander Hamilton. 

Now, when John Adams, of Massachusetts, 
became President, trouble was already brewing 
between the United States and France. 

You remember how Louis XVI. sent a fleet to 
America to aid in the war against the British. It 
so happened that, very soon after, the king had a 
war with his own people. He was driven from his 
throne, and France became a republic. 

" If one throne falls," said the other kings of 
Europe, " all thrones may fall ; we must not let the 
French establish a republic as the Americans have 
done" ; and so the kings united to fight France. 
Then the Directory, which was the name of five 
men who ruled the new French republic, called 
across the sea to the Americans : " We helped 
you," they said, "when you fought for liberty; 
come and help us." 

This was a stirring appeal. Republican clubs 



5 6 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

were formed all over the United States ; they sang 
French songs and dressed after the French 
fashion. But while Washington was President, he 
had hesitated to take up arms against England ; 
he said the only two English-speaking nations on 
the globe should be friends. 

It seemed unwise to take part in the quarrels of 
Europe. Besides, it was King Louis who sent help 
to America, and the French mobs had cut off the 
head of King Louis. Washington declared the 
United States would take no part in the wars of 
France. 

When John Adams became President, he, too, 
said we should remain friends to all the nations of 
Europe. Then the French became very disagree- 
able ; they began to shoot at the flags on our ships. 
President Adams sent agents to Paris to try to 
arrange the difficulties ; but the French Directory 
insulted the agents, and ordered them out of the 
city. Of course, all the Americans were angry 
then. The Republican clubs took off their French 
badges, and quit singing French songs. 

The President and Congress prepared for war. 
Washington was appointed lieutenant-general of 



THE STORY < )F A L EX A XDER HA MIL TON. 5 7 



the army, with Hamilton his first major-general. 
Ships were built ; armies were collected and drilled. 
There was hurrying everywhere. Meantime, 
Napoleon had become the ruler in France; and 
when he saw that the Americans were so eager to 
defend their honor, he treated them with more 
respect. After a time, peace was made between 
France and the United States. 

Before peace had been concluded, the death of 
Washington caused mourning throughout the 
land. Hamilton became commander of the 
American armies, but he went about his duties 
with a very sad heart. 



XIII. — Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr. 

When all danger of war was over, Hamilton 
began again to practice law. 

He withdrew more and more from public life. 
It is said that in the trial of his cases the great 
lawyer was almost always successful. 

Sometimes he spoke many hours, but no one 
wished to leave the court-room until he had fin' 
ished his speech. 



5 8 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

Now, all this time Aaron Burr had been rising in 
power. He was crafty and revengeful ; he did 
what he could to blacken the character of Hamil- 
ton. When the term of John Adams drew to a 
close, Aaron Burr became a candidate for Presi- 
dent against Thomas Jefferson, of Virginia. 

Hamilton used his great influence against the 
election of Burr. He thought him a man without 
honor, and therefore unfit for the high office to 
which he aspired. 

When Jefferson was elected, Burr was very 
angry ; he said that Hamilton had caused his 
defeat. 

Then, when Burr wished to be governor of 
New York, he was defeated again. He was more 
angry than ever ; he laid all the blame of failure 
on Hamilton ; he brooded over his evil thoughts. 

How might he get rid of this powerful man who 
stood in his way ? He decided to kill him ; but he 
said he would not, like a common murderer, kill 
him in the night; he would challenge him to fight a 
duel. 

It is said that Burr trained his hand at shooting 
targets until he never missed his mark. When 



THE STORY OF ALEXANDER HAMILTON. ^ 



he was sure that he would not fail he sent a chal- 
lenge to Hamilton. 

In those days a duel was a common way to settle 
disputes. Hamilton had lost a dear son in a duel. 
He thought the custom of dueling was wrong ; yet 
he knew very well that, if he did not accept the 
challenge, he would be called a coward. 

"If war should ever break out again," he said, 
" who would trust a man in command, if he had 
ever been called a coward?" 

And so he accepted Burr's challenge, but he 
asked that the duel be put off until he had finished 
his cases in that term of court. He did not wish 
others to suffer loss if he died. 

The days went by ; the great lawyer pleaded his 
cases, and attended to all his duties as usual. 

Once, at a public dinner, when urged to sing his 
favorite song, he arose to his feet and sang the 
patriotic verses, one by one. 

Just across the table sat Aaron Burr. His eyes 
were fixed on the glowing face of the singer. He 
whispered to himself : " It is the last time that the 
people of this nation shall listen to the voice of 
Alexander Hamilton." 



60 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 



XIV.— The Duel. 

At dawn, on the eleventh day of July, 1804, the 
duel took place. The two men, with their seconds, 
met on the Jersey shore at Weehawken, opposite 
New York. Hamilton had said he would not fire 
the first round; he did not wish to kill his enemy. 
They measured paces. At the given word, Burr 
fired. Hamilton fell. Burr hastened away in a 
boat. He was soon condemned as a murderer, 
and fled for his life. 

Hamilton was carried to his barge. He was 
placed on a cot, and borne to the house of a 
friend. A long line of citizens followed the 
almost lifeless body. They wept and wrung their 
hands. All felt that he must die. His wife and 
children were summoned; and, in a few hours, 
Alexander Hamilton breathed his last. 

On the day of his funeral the business houses 
in New York City were closed. The flags on the 
ships in the harbor were hung at balf-mast, and 
the bells of the churches were muffled and tolled. 

A vast procession followed the hero to his 
grave. His war horse, with empty saddle, draped 
in black, walked behind the casket. Then came 



THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HAMIL TON. 6 I 

regiments of soldiers. Then the president and 
the students of Columbia College marched to- 
gether, because the "orphan boy of Nevis" had 
been an honored student of Columbia College, 
when it was King's College. Behind the students 
marched the many societies, who wished to do 
honor to the dead; and all over the country there 
was mourning for the great financier, the soldier, 
the lawyer, and the statesman, Alexander Hamil- 
ton. 

Ministers in their pulpits deplored his loss. One 
said: "Alexander Hamilton was a man on whom 
nature seemed to impress the stamp of greatness. 

" He was the hero whose first appearance in the 
field conciliated the esteem of Washington; the 
statesman whose genius impressed itself upon the 
constitution of his country; the patriot whose 
integrity baffled the closest scrutiny, and the coun- 
sellor who was at once the pride of the bar and the 
admiration of the court. 

"The name of Hamilton raises in the mind the 
idea of whatever is great, whatever is splendid, 
whatever is illustrious in human nature. 

" Wherever Alexander Hamilton was, the friend- 



6 2 THE S TOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 



less had a friend, the fatherless a father, and the 
poor man an advocate." 

The newspapers were banded in black. Each 
paid loving tribute to the dead. Even those that 
had often opposed him hastened now to praise 
him. 

" Americans!" said the Charleston Courier, "in 
Alexander Hamilton, you have lost your champion, 
your counsellor, and your guide. 

" Who is there in the ancient or the modern 
world that has surpassed him? If we look to his 
life, we shall find more to praise and less to censure 
than in almost any other, 

" The head that guided your guides — that clearest 
head that ever conceived, and that sweetest tongue 
that ever uttered, the dictates of wisdom — lies 
mouldering to clay; yet the deeds this great man 
wrought will live forever. " 

" The name of Hamilton will not die," said one 
newspaper, " until that dark day shall come when 
the name of Washington will also be remembered 
no more." 

" No country ever deplored a greater man," 
said another. 



THE STORY OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 6 3 

" Behold!" said another, "a Washington and a 
Hamilton meet again in gladness and triumph." 

The dust of the illustrious statesman lies in 
Trinity Churchyard, at the head of busy Wall 
Street. On a bluff of Manhattan stands the 
" Grange," once his country home, removed 
a short distance from where it then stood. 
But the thirteen trees still flourish where he 
planted them in remembrance of the thirteen 
states he had helped to unite into one great 
nation. 

They tower high above the trees around them. 
It was thus, too, that the fame of Alexander Ham- 
ilton arose above that of other men. 

Like Cain, who slew his brother, Aaron Burr, 
who slew America's greatest statesman, became a 
wanderer on the earth. The name of Hamilton 
sounded in his ears wherever he went. 

"Ah, the slayer of Hamilton!" exclaimed an 
English lord, and cooly turned his back. 

"I always have a miniature of Hamilton hanging 
over my mantle piece," replied a French states- 
man whose favor he sought. 

" By the death of Hamilton you have forfeited 



64 THE STOR Y OF A LEX A NDER HA MIL TON. 

the right of citizenship," said a consul as he re- 
fused him passports. 

Wearied with his treatment in Europe, Burr re- 
turned to New York city. 

His old friends shunned him and strangers who 
heard his name refused to clasp his hand. 

At last, when very old and very poor, he died; 
and the event served only to renew the universal 
praise of Alexander Hamilton. 





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